Student nurse Bethany’s skills lead to Smile award

A student nurse whose accurate record-keeping and cool head helped as a patient had a heart attack has been publicly commended.

Bethany Andrews from Raunds, is a Year 3 Adult Nursing student at the University of Northampton and her practice placement is at Kettering General Hospital.

Whilst working on a ward, a patient started to suffer a heart attack. As the event continued, the patient was transferred to Intensive Care, accompanied by Bethany and her team.

Bethany and her team stayed with the patient to ensure on-going care for them as well as support and reassurance for their family members, fully demonstrating the “6 C’s” of good nursing care (communication, care, compassion, competency, commitment and courage).

During heart attacks, many team members are involved in a patient’s care and precise note-taking is essential to keep track of the medical treatment given.

Bethany, who took on the role of ‘scribe’ during the event, received praise for her “fabulous note-taking” that helped the team record the event after the patient was stabilised.

The team received a Smile award from the hospital, given each month to staff members who have gone the extra mile for patients.

Of her win, Bethany said: “I am very grateful to have been nominated for the smile award as part of the nursing team, and was not expecting to win.

“It means a lot for someone to take the time to nominate the team for the work, and to be included within that. After all I was only doing what anyone else would do in the same situation.

“It’s helped that I’ve had great training during my course and have always been fully supported to be brilliant and ‘go the extra mile’ by my lecturers.”

Find out more about the Adult Nursing degree at University of Northampton.